Fear
by teenagejustice
Summary: Robin has a little father/daughter conversation. Rated K for mentions of violence. Mostly fluff.


A/N: This is some father/daughter fluff, so it might get a bit sappy.

How do you start a conversation with your daughter about fear?

For myself, I've put off talking about it for as long as I can. Perhaps a little too long. Now here we are, her 13 years old, and still I don't know what to say. She's sitting sideways in her chair with her legs swung over the arm and her head propped up by a hand. She's clearly bored, and I wish I could cut her loose, but we need to have this talk. She thinks that I don't know, but I do. I know that she is terrified of the dark. I know that she's scared of being afraid. I lean forward and twiddle my thumbs. "Sakura, do you know why you're here?"

"Nope," she replies bluntly. Her musical voice that is usually so playful is uncharacteristically terse. Clearly she does not like being pulled away from her training to come to her room, sit in a chair, and listen to her father say nothing for half an hour.

"Well, you're here because you and I need to talk."

"Don't have to be a detective to figure that one out."

"Sakura, you think I don't pay attention to detail when it comes to you, but I do. I know."

"Know what?" She asks me seemingly innocently.

"I know that you've missed your last three stealth sessions with your Aunt M'gann(1)."

"Yes. You know that I lose track of time easily."

"We both know that's not why you've missed them. Sakura, you can't lie to me."

"Is this a lecture?"

"No, it's not, and stop trying to change the subject." I sit back in my chair. "You're afraid of the dark."

Her body noticeably tenses, and she forces herself to re-relax. She looks at me with that brilliant smile of hers, her clear blue eyes sparkling. "Daddy, that's crazy. Where would you get an idea like that?"

"Watching you. You don't like sitting at the south end of the table when we eat here(2). You say you don't like it because you keep hitting the chair against the wall and you don't want to break it, but the real reason is because it's darker than the rest of the table. Whenever you have to go downstairs at night for something you take one of your flashlights with you. Every time we go out on patrol you carry a flashlight on your belt right next to your birdarangs, and I've seen you use it a few times. Sometimes at night you leave the lights in your room on. I've been talking to M'gann about your stealth training too."

She sinks back into the fluffiness of her white chair. "Can I go die of embarrassment now?"

I chuckle in spite of myself. "No, you can't. Sakura, you can't expect yourself to be a Bat and be afraid of the dark."

"You think I don't know that?" She stands up and paces irritably. "But what the hell can I do? The dark terrifies me!"

"Why? What happened that has you so scared?"

She hesitates before coming closer to me and squatting next to my chair. "Swear to me that you won't tell a soul, living, dead, or otherwise. Not even my uncles or aunts."

"But-"

"Daddy, swear!" I've never heard Sakura sound so angry.

"I…I swear."

She takes a deep breath and stands up, her fingers hooked around the belt loops of her short denim shorts. She slowly lifts up the hem of her white spaghetti strap top and stops when she reaches the lower edge of her bra. I reach up and run four fingers along the faded white scars the stretch across her trim waist and reach both up and down her front side. "How… how did…?"

"Alligator in the sewer. I had been chasing a group of armed robbers and I followed them into the sewers. I couldn't see anything because it was so dark. I… I accidentally stepped into a nest. The alligator didn't like that." She glances down at the slash scars. "There are more, but they're in, um, compromising places."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't want you to baby me. You always baby me when I get hurt." She sits back down and puts her head in her hands.

"Honey, I wouldn't baby you if you didn't want me to." I stand up and walk over to her, putting my hand on her back. "But all that shows you is that you need to watch where you step. There isn't a reason to be afraid of the dark."

"I know, I know. It's just that… well, I was screaming, but no one heard me. I felt like the dark was suffocating me, like it wanted me to die." Her hands fall from her face and her fingers lace together. Her shoulders are trembling and when I squat down to see her face, I see that there are tears streaming down her cheeks.

I smile kindly at my daughter and pull her into a hug. "Don't cry, my little cherry blossom(3). It's okay to be afraid, but it's not okay to let fear consume you." I pull away from her and cradle her cheek in my palm, wiping away a few tears. "I can help you, but only if you let me."

She nods and gives me one of the bright smiles that I love so much. I return the grin and put a hand on her shoulder encouragingly.

Just then there is a small knock on her door, and Kaldur pokes his head through the door. When he sees us he freezes. "Uh. Sorry to interrupt." He looks to my daughter. "Sakura, it's time for the extra sparring lesson you asked me about."

"Okay." She stands and squeezes my hand, whispering a soft, "Thanks."

I nod to her in return, and she follows Aqualad into the training room. I follow them, and watch her assume a fighting stance, a birdarang in hand. I smile to myself and leave her to her training with Wally. I head into the kitchen and tap M'gann on the shoulder. "Hey M'gann, Sakura will be at her next stealth class. Thanks for telling me about it."

"No problem, Robin." I turn around and start to walk out of the room when he says, "So is everything okay? Fear was absolutely rolling off her."

I pause, glancing at the shadows around me. I hear sounds of battle and Sakura's laughter echoing down the hallways. I smile. "Yeah, Megan. Everything couldn't be better."

(1) = All the team members are seen by Sakura as aunts or uncles. Normally, Robin would teach her stealth, but he handles fighting tactics, weaponry, and acrobatics.

(2) = 'Here' refers to Mt. Justice.

(3) = Sakura is a Japanese name that actually means 'cherry blossom'. Robin calling his daughter by this name is a term of endearment.

A/N: So. Love it? Hate it? Think I should continue with Sakura's character? Review please!


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